Marsha Heather Pinkney

December 11, 1954 - December 8, 2024

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Marsha Heather Pinkney (nee Speed). Marsha passed away on Sunday, December 8th, 2024, just days shy of her 70th birthday, after a long and arduous battle with cancer.

Marsha was born in Toronto on December 11, 1954 to George and Vera Speed and was the youngest of four children. Marsha was a proud mother to Andrew (Laura) and Neal, and a devoted grandmother (Nana) to her girlies Emma and Sophie. She was an adored daughter-in-law to Garnet and Julia Pinkney, loving sister to Glen (Alison), Janice and Susan, sister-in-law to Robert (Laura) and Brian (Joanne), and aunt to many nieces and nephews. Marsha cherished her family and friends.

On October 2, 1976, Marsha married her love William (Bill) Garnet Pinkney. Together they had two boys, Andrew and Neal. Sadly, Bill passed away on July 10, 1984 when Andrew and Neal were just 4 and 1 years old, respectively. Marsha would often speak of the difficulties of losing her husband and becoming a single mother at such a young age. With the help of family, Marsha raised Andrew and Neal to become smart, kind and successful men.

Marsha accomplished so much in her life. Marsha was a loyal employee at Bowman Distribution for almost 25 years, starting at the company right out of high school and moving her way up the corporate ladder to become Management. Not an easy feat for a woman during that time. At Sunrise Senior Living she was a successful Director of Sales for 17 years and retired in 2023 just before her diagnosis. Marsha's passion, however, was flowers and she lived out her dream when she opened her own flower shop in Market Lane in Woodbridge. The shop would eventually close but she continued to offer floral services on and off for many years. 

Marsha was creative and had an eye for design. She loved to cook and bake and her Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners could never be replicated. Marsha loved to dance and sing. She never hesitated to break out in a dance when a good oldie began to play, and would often speak of the good times growing up in the 60’s and 70’s. 

Her fondest memories though were spent with family and friends on Beech Lake at the cottage her father built when she was just a little girl. She would continue to visit that area in her later years and would eventually acquire her own cottage on Beech Lake in 2017. Marsha always said she wanted to create the same happy memories at the cottage for her family, in particular her granddaughters, and she did just that. 

Marsha loved her granddaughters, Emma and Sophie, fiercely and was broken hearted that she could not watch them grow but she created such loving and memorable experiences with her girlies that they will forever live on in them. 

Join us on Saturday, January 4th, 2025 at 1:00pm at Ward Funeral Home (4671 Hwy 7, Woodbridge ON) to celebrate Marsha and the wonderful life she lived. Eulogies will begin at 1:30pm with lunch to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Bethell House Hospice, where Marsha spent her final days.

Click HERE to donate to Bethell House Hospice